Top pick
During our research and conversations with employees at retail stores, American Leather (which is widely available) kept coming up as having the best sleeper sofas on the market. After our testing, we agree.
But before we dive in further, allow me a brief digression on the company name, because I think American Leather could stand to rebrand. People are often confused at first. I know I was. This company manufactures a lot more than just leather furniture, and its leather is also one of the only elements not created in the US. (American Leather sources from four European tanneries, each with a different specialization.)
So, yes, its sofa sleepers are made in the US, but this company offers a far wider array of exterior options than just leather.
One of the things we like most about American Leather is that it’s constantly innovating. The most recent patent for its fold-out mechanism is now on its ninth iteration, and it shaved 20 pounds off the weight, “which made it even easier to open,” explained Taylar Hoffman, the company’s product director.
We found it was tough to pick just one “best” American Leather model for this guide. (For what it’s worth, the sloped-arm Perry Comfort Sleeper is the company’s current best-seller, and there are plenty of other models, from angular arms to sectionals.) However, we think American Leather’s Gaines Comfort Sleeper—with its subtle roll-arm design and seemingly endless combinations of fabric and color choices—will blend in with a variety of aesthetics and is a great option to see you through changing tastes over the years. But really any of the styles within the Comfort Sleeper line will perform just as well.
Why it’s great
The mattress is simple to pull out and tuck back in. American Leather’s patented trifold mechanism is called the Tiffany 24/7 platform sleep system (named for the couple that invented it and brought the original version to the company ). It’s made from a solid birch-wood platform topped with metal and three mattress panels, permanently attached to each of the three segments. You can see the lines where they meet up, but you don’t feel them when you’re lying down.
The mechanism is far easier to maneuver than those found in classic sleepers (see video below). That’s because you’re lifting only two of the three panels—the third glides up or down against the back of the couch and easily slides into position whether you’re opening or closing the sleeper. In our office testing, everyone who gave the Gaines a whirl, including our paid testers, remarked on how easy it was to operate.
You can choose from three types of mattresses. American Leather’s Comfort Sleepers come with options: Tempur-Pedic memory foam, cooling gel, and a proprietary mattress called HiPerform (a 5-inch foam that’s encased in Crypton-brand ticking, which makes the mattress liquid and stain-resistant). We tested the HiPerform version in our office, and we found it to be medium-firm, with just enough give to make side-sleepers comfortable.
Customize to your heart’s content. You can choose from hundreds of fabric, color, and pattern combinations, as well as a whopping 28 different sizes, including sectionals and curved couches. Cushions come plain or tufted, and in multiples or bench-style.
Custom options are turned around fast. In the early 1990s, American Leather’s engineer founder created the company specifically to solve the problem of long wait times for custom leather furniture. He initially worked out of the back corner of a to-the-trade upholstery company, and today, American Leather’s 350,000-square-foot Dallas-based manufacturing floor can create a custom order in three to four weeks. A standard assembly line moves step by step. But at American Leather, different stations receive an order at the same time, triggering multiple productions at once that then come together for the final build.
Many retailers carry American Leather. The brand doesn’t have its own showrooms or commerce site. But because much of the furniture industry considers American Leather’s products to be the gold standard in sleepers, you can find them at over 700 locations, from a small-town furniture store to growing brands to large retailers, such as Bloomingdale’s and Raymour & Flanigan. Bigger stores typically have a selection of ready-to-ship options.
Thoughtful touches abound. All of the models in the Comfort Sleeper line contain well-considered details, like a dust cover beneath the sofa, to keep dirt and detritus away from the mattress. There’s also a flap at the bottom edge of the mattress frame that, when you first remove the cushions, shows you how to operate the mechanism. But actually, Hoffman pointed out, it also serves to hide the mechanism and protect the mattress from debris when the sofa is closed.
Finally, it will last. American Leather is confident in its product’s ability to stick around, as illustrated by a 10-year warranty on the Tiffany 24/7 sleep system and a limited lifetime warranty on the frame. I can personally attest to the sleeper sofa’s longevity. While researching this guide, I learned that the guest-room sleeper I’ve conked out on many times at a friend’s house is an American Leather model purchased 14 years ago. And there’s no sagging in either the mattress, the frame, or the couch cushions (in fact, current iterations of the sleeper’s mattress have a density of 2.3 pounds per cubic foot, well above the standard 1.8 pounds per cubic foot).
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Sheets aren’t a perfect fit. Because the mattress is affixed to the platforms, fitted sheets need a bit of bunching around the corners to achieve a flat surface. Fortunately, sheets with generous gussets—including our pick for the best sheets under $50, Target Threshold Performance 400 Thread Count Sheet Set—work especially well. American Leather partners with two companies, DreamFit and SFERRA, for custom-fit sheets. But we haven’t tried them and don’t think you need to spend the extra money.
- We saw some recent complaints about the leather. We find this odd, considering it’s what the brand is originally known for, and it’s well sourced. We haven’t seen any of its leather options for ourselves, but we plan to investigate that in a future guide to leather sofas.